>> Thursday, 16 February 2006

Paris, 2006-02-15

The world’s first competition for “Scandinavian” wines and spirits resulted in 5 Great Gold Medals, 9 Gold Medals and 24 Silver Medals. The competition – The 1st BKWine Scandinavian Wine & Spirit Competition – was organised in connection with the BKWine Scandinavian Wine Fair in Paris on February 11, both organised by Britt Karlsson, BKWine, in collaboration with the Cercle Suédois and Restaurant Rivoli.

The third Scandinavian Wine Fair was successfully completed with a record number of exhibitors and visitors. Some 350 visitors sniffed, slurped and sometimes drunk more than 100 different wines and spirits presented by 32 exhibitors from Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland. Most of the wines and spirits were of course produced by “emigrated” Scandinavians in France and other wine making countries but there were even three exhibitors growing and making wine in Sweden.

The BKWine Scandinavian Wine and Spirit Competition

Five Great Gold Medals was awarded by the jury that consisted of sommeliers, wine writers and oenologues:

The Scandinavian Wine Fair greeted a record number of exhibitors: 32 wine and spirit producers, all with a Scandinavian link, came and presented in person their wines and spirits. The full list of exhibitors and their provenance is available on the site: http://www.bkwine.com/winefair/winefair-2006.htm

Some 350 visitors came to the wine fair to taste the more than one hundred Scandinavian wines and spirits. The visitors were a mix of professionals, sommeliers, wine buyers, journalist and other, as well as the wine loving public. The Wine Fair was even honoured by the visits of both the Swedish ambassador, Frank Belfrage, and the Norwegian ambassador, Björn Skogmo.

Britt Karlsson, BKWine, organiser of the event, says: ”I am very satisfied with the outcome. Record number of exhibitors and record number of visitors. The wine producers say they very much like the informal way of meeting with consumers and professionals. But many also point out that it is their only occasion to meet other Scandinavians involved in wines and spirits. It was very positive to see the high quality of the wines. The wide range is impressive and perhaps confusing – wines from 2 euro to 200 euro were there to taste – but virtually all was of good quality. Which also showed in the number of medals awarded”. Britt explains about the competition: “The jury consisted of ten wine experts – sommeliers, oenologists, wine writers. All wines and spirits were of course tasted blind and if it reached a certain, pre-defined score it was awarded a medal.”

BKWine is managed by Britt Karlsson, a Swede living in Paris. She is one of the few Swedes working internationally with wine education and wine journalism and is also a very experienced organiser of wine tours.

The Cercle Suédois was founded in 1891 and is a meeting point for Swedes and other Scandinavians living in Paris. The Club is housed in a prestigious building overlooking the Louvre and Tuileries gardens.

Kajsa von Sydow runs the restaurant at the Swedish club, the Restaurant Rivoli. It is open for lunch guest as well as for private parties and functions. It is open both for members of the club as well as for non-members.

BKWine Photography

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